Rely on Me
by unlikelyRLshipper
Summary: Part II of the posting blitz.  A post-ep for 7.06, so spoilers ahoy!  Danny and Lindsay get a chance to talk about how the case of a missing and presumed dead teen is affecting them.  My way of addressing a major oversight on the part of the writers!


**Part two of the posting blitz!**

**This time, it's a post-ep for 7.06 – you know, the one where TPTB dropped the ball big time and didn't follow up on how the case (the couple who were looking for their son and were being used to contaminate other crime scenes) was affecting Danny and Lindsay after opening the door with the blink-and-you'll-miss-it exchange between them on the rooftop? As you've probably already guessed, this was my way of rectifying that oversight.**

**Two more tidbits: 1) this is the first time that I've written for Jo, so please bear with me if I got her wrong and 2) once again, I'm not sure about the final product (having like a two month break between writing the first and second halves has made me completely unsure about this one).**

**Enjoy? **

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**Rely on Me**

Ever since they'd found that boy in the classic care on the rooftop, Danny had been trying to keep his mind off the Harrises, but it had been difficult. When he wasn't keeping busy with something, he'd find his mind wandering back to the rooftop, replaying Lindsay almost imperceptibly touching his back before she asked him "_Can you imagine finding your kid like this?_" He'd not been lying when he said that he was trying not to, but there was just something about that whole situation that was bothering him, something he couldn't put his finger on. He'd wanted to talk to Lindsay about it, but they'd both been chasing different leads all day and he'd not seen her since that morning. Chastising himself again because his mental digression was getting him nowhere, he turned his attention back to the file on his desk.

After a few minutes of reading, an idea sparked in his head and he searched his desk for a Post-It something down. Unable to find one, he looked across the office and noticed that Jo was still at her desk, presumably trying to find a lead of her own. He thought about asking her for one, but after taking one look at the junk pile she called a desk, he figured it would take too long and only result the junk pile moving from the desk to the floor. Glancing over at Lindsay's desk, he immediately spotted a stack of notes, so he walked over and grabbed one, accidentally knocking her mouse and bringing her computer back to life. He was about to put it back on standby when he noticed her desktop, which was different from the last time he'd seen it. He recognized the picture immediately: they'd taken Lucy to a nearby park two weekends ago and the three of them had squeezed together on a park bench so that Danny could fit them all in the picture from overhead, huge smiles on all of their faces.

"Are you alright Danny?"

For a second, he'd forgotten that Jo was there, so her voice startled him out of his reverie. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, you just gasped a bit when you saw Lindsay's desktop. Don't you like it? I think it's adorable, you've got quite an attractive family there Danny."

He smiled graciously. "It's not that, it's…" He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he wanted to go down this path. Making up his mind, he shook his head. "Forget about it, we've both got work to do."

Not put off in the slightest, Jo pushed forward. "It can wait for five minutes, there are other people who will still be working on the case. Sit down for a second and let's talk."

Danny was still hesitant, but he knew that Jo wasn't the type to give up so easily. Plunking down in Lindsay's chair, he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's this case. With everything that's happened recently, it's just hitting a little too close to home for me, you know?"

Jo nodded. "I can only imagine." Though she'd only been at the crime lab a short time, she knew all about Shane Casey, his prison break and what he'd tried to do to the Messers. "Have you talked to Lindsay about it?"

"No, we've both been busy working the evidence, and we try to keep our personal lives out of the workplace."

Jo couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. She'd seen the two of them work together, and without even knowing that they were married, she'd picked up on the more intimate nature of their relationship. Besides, she knew a thing or two about working with a spouse. "Danny, let me let you in on a little secret: our personal lives bleed into our work whether we like it or not. My ex and I, we were both FBI and when we worked together, the line blurred at times, but it's not always a bad thing. From what I've seen of you and Lindsay, your working partnership works so well because you know each other inside and out. You're so used to being together and working with each other that you've developed a shorthand – a look can say as much as words can, and that's a fantastic thing to have."

"A lot of that is because we were thrown together as partners from the day she started here, so we had to get used to each other pretty quick."

She could sense that he was trying to downplay what he and Lindsay had together, and Jo wasn't having any of it. "Sure, but if the two of you didn't gel together like you seemingly did, I doubt that you'd still be working together today, much less be married to each other."

"Yeah, I guess."

"There's no 'guess' about it. I enjoy watching the two of you work together, it kinda reminds me of what my ex and I used to have. You and Lindsay are a well-oiled machine, and cute to boot!" Danny blushed, unsure of how to respond to that. Noticing his slight discomfort, Jo eased up on him, and got to her point. "Look, just stay focused as much as you can on what you should be doing, and after your shift, go home and talk with your wife."

She watched him nod, and she fully expected him to get up and go back to his desk without another word, so she was caught off guard when he spoke again. "Does it get any easier, working on cases like this?"

She looked at him and smiled, knowing that he was looking for advice, one parent to another. "Yes…and no. It gets easier to focus in the job and keep the unpleasant thoughts away while you're at the office, but when you get home, the urge to protect your children from all the evils in this world only gets stronger, and you pray more and more that you're never in the position of those parents. But, it's much easier to cope with that last part when you have someone in your life that gets the work that you do and understands where you're coming from – I don't think you and Lindsay have any problem there." Jo's phone buzzed and she looked down at it, noticing a text message from Flack. "I've got to go meet up with Flack. Are you gonna be OK?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling a little better now. Thanks Jo, I owe you one."

"You or your wife bring in that precious daughter of yours so I can meet her and we'll call it even, OK?"

"OK. Good luck."

"Who needs luck when you have Southern charm?" Flashing him one last smile, she got up from her desk, waved at him and left the room. Shaking his head as he returned to his own desk, he sat down and started writing on the Post-It.

Ever since he'd finished talking with Jo, Danny had been hoping to run into Lindsay, wanting to see how she was doing. After his conversation with Jo, he'd finally been able to figure out what had been bugging him about the rooftop conversation with his wife. He'd been so busy trying to not let his brain jump right into what Shane Casey had almost done to them that he never realized that her question didn't seem so much like a question, but more her way of letting him know that she was thinking about Casey as well. Unfortunately, he'd had no such luck as they hadn't crossed paths again before her shift ended two hours ago. To make matters worse, he got stuck at the lab for an extra hour doing paperwork. He'd sent her a text message explaining what was going on and she replied back that she'd keep his dinner warm for him, so he was still unsure about how she was coping with it all.

When he finally stepped into their apartment, he threw his bag down on the floor and noticed that she was sitting on the couch in her pyjamas channel surfing. "Hey babe."

"Hi." She put the remote down for the moment and walked over to him, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back." She nodded and headed into the kitchen, going to see how hot his dinner still was.

Danny disappeared into their bedroom and changed into his own pyjamas, deciding to check up on Lucy quickly before he rejoined Lindsay in the living room. Quietly walking into his daughter's room, he saw her sleeping soundly in her crib, a serene look on her face. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, backing up again so as to not wake her. Glancing over at the window, he felt compelled to go over and check that the locks were properly affixed.

"They're locked, I've already checked three times."

He finished his task anyways and turned around, finding Lindsay leaning against the doorframe, looking at him with a blank expression on her face.

"Well, four's my lucky number, so we're good now," he whispered to her, hoping to lighten the mood. When she merely nodded, Danny knew that they were going to be for a bit of an emotionally rough evening.

She turned and left without another word, and Danny thought about forgoing his dinner for a little while longer so that they could talk, but as he came back into the living room, he saw that she was already back to channel surfing and she'd left his plate waiting for him on the coffee table. Sitting down beside her, he brushed his lips against her temple in appreciation and picked up the fork. Lindsay didn't react, trying to keep herself distracted for just a little bit longer so her thoughts wouldn't get the best of her. She was so focused on the TV that she didn't notice Danny finish his food, putting his fork down and pushing the plate away from him. Turning to her, he gently took the remote from her hands and turned the TV off, placing it down next to his plate. He noticed her stiffen at his actions and he sparred no time in wrapping his arms around her, shifting around until they were both lying down, Lindsay on top of him. Holding her tightly in his arms, he kissed her forehead and started talking.

"I've been hoping all day long that we would run into each other again. What you said on the rooftop, when I though about it later it seemed like you were saying what you were feeling more than asking a question."

"I…"

"Babe, let me finish, please?" He glanced down at her, seeing her rest her chin on his chest and wait for him to speak again. "Most of all, I was hoping we'd run into each other so I could wrap my arms around you and know that everything was gonna be alright. Your presence has always had a calming effect on me, and I could've used that today. Instead, I had to settle for your desktop and some encouraging words from Jo. She told me that dealing with cases like this get easier while you're on the clock, but that going home you're just as scared about what could happen to your kids – it's only made easier when you have someone to lean on, who gets where you're coming from.

"I said I was trying hard not to think about what it would've been like to be in the Harris' shoes, but my mind just kept going there because of Shane Casey. He could've put us in that kind of position and even though it turned out alright, I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about 'what if.' Days like this make me want to lock Lucy away in a tower and never let her out again."

Lindsay couldn't remain silent any longer. "But we both know that we can't do that. We can try and protect her for as long as we can, but if we shield her like that, she'll never be able to fend for herself."

"Maybe I'm OK with that, I can keep protecting her…we can keep protecting her."

"Danny, whether you like it or not, she'll grow up and want to live her own life. There will come a day when you and I won't be here anymore to protect her, so we have to teach her to do it herself. I don't like it anymore than you do, but that's what we have to do." She saw him nod dejectedly, and she decided that it was finally time for her to open up about what had been bothering her all day.

"About this morning: at first it was just a question – I hadn't put that much thought into it – but after you answered and then we got to work, my minds started racing. For me, it's not just about what Casey almost did; what really hit me was the fact that you never know what could happen, and that terrifies me. You're on vacation with your family and you get attacked by a serial killer; you go home and think that you'll be safe there and he shows up, threatening the lives of the people you love the most. You pay your respects to a fallen friend and the bar gets shot up and your husband spends months in a wheelchair with little hope of walking again. Someone trades shifts with you and he gets held hostage and tortured by a gang wanting their drugs back. You go out to dinner with your best friends and you walk away the only survivor of a quadruple murder. It's a lot for a person to handle." Lindsay could feel the tears threatening to fall, but she was determined to hold them back for the time being.

Letting out a sigh, Danny now understood what had been bothering her all day, and he wanted nothing more than to take all the pain away for her. Sliding backwards to rest his head on the arm of the couch so he could see her without straining his neck, he moved one of his hands to the side of her head.

"Baby, you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"That's easier said than done."

"Maybe, but it doesn't always have to be. For starters, you have to try to stop dwelling on the negative so much Linds, you have to remember the good things that came out of those situations: you helped to bring justice and closure for your friends and their families by testifying against that guy and putting him away for life; you and I became even closer after I traded shifts with you and it helped to bring us to where we are today; our ten percent chance came through and I'm walking again and my back is as good as new; and because of what you did, you, me and Lucy are all still here together." He noticed that she was still hesitating, so he pushed forward with his other reason. "And if you have a hard time with that, then I can think of something else that you can do."

"What?" a clear hint of desperation in her voice as she asked.

"Come to me. Look Lindsay, I've said it many times before and I'll keep saying it 'til the day I die many, many years from now when I'm old and grey, it was you that got me through your 'Snow Day,' through my paralysis and through this whole situation with Shane Casey – I know I wouldn't have made it through any of those things without you. I know that I've done the same thing for you – I did it in Montana and after Shane Casey died – you just have to rely on me, and not be afraid to do it."

"I know that you're there for me Danny, and I love you for it, but…"

"No buts. I know this isn't always easy for you, it isn't for me either, and I've never expected you to change overnight. You try your hardest and that's all I ask of you, just like you ask of me. We're both still works in progress and we're figuring this all out as we go along, but it goes so much easier when we do it together, don't you think?"

Lindsay didn't respond at first, letting his words sink in. Eventually, she placed a kiss on his chest over his heart and looked up at him, a smile gracing her features as she stared at him, choosing not to speak at the moment. Her intense gaze unnerved him a little bit, so he tried to get her talk again. "What ya looking at?"

"You," she stated plainly. "All day I've been trying to keep my mind off this stuff, and within ten minutes, you've brought me back from the brink." She paused for a moment and found herself reflecting on just how different he was when they first met. "When we first got to know each other, you weren't the most open of people, but to see this change in you, where you want to open up to me, it makes me all the more thankful to have you in my life and to call you my husband."

He was quick to reply, turning the tables back on her. "I could easily say the same of you: when we first met, you were very guarded, reluctant to let people behind the wall you build around yourself. I'm thankful everyday that you took a chance on me – several really – and that you've allowed me to see all of you because I know that wasn't easy to do. I can't imagine calling anyone else my wife. I love you Linds."

"And I love you too Dan." They shared a quick kiss before pulling apart again. Lindsay let the silence hang in the air for a moment before she started speaking again. "Sometimes though, I just long for the responsibilities and worries that I used to have, like whether I wanted to go to the bar and have some fun or order take-out and watch a movie on my couch. It was so much easier when I just had to look out for myself, and not for my husband and daughter too." Lindsay paused for a second and considered what she'd just said. Disgusted with herself for what she seemed to be implying, she felt the tears finally start to roll down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, that came out all wrong, I…"

She'd started to push up against him, trying to get off him, but her attempts were quashed when his arm tightened around her and the hand that had been at the side of her head covered her mouth, quickly leaving that spot to brush the tears from her face. Daring to look at him, she saw understanding written all over his face.

"Shh, babe, I get what you're trying to say and I'm not mad. I feel the same way too sometimes – I felt like that a lot after Shane Casey came back into our lives." A thought popped into Danny's head, and he started to make a connection. "Is this also part of the reason why you avoid talking about more kids." He'd made it clear that he hoped they would have more children and that they'd one day have a boy, but anytime that Danny had tried to bring up the subject seriously, Lindsay would try and change the subject as quickly as possible, and he'd never pushed her on it so far. It wasn't that he was in a rush to have more kids, he just wanted to get a sense of where her head was at on the subject.

Lindsay's eyes grew wide as she realized that she'd been caught and she nodded her head slowly.

"You shouldn't be scared off by things like that: while Lucy came as a surprise to both of us, we made it through all of it, not on as solid ground as we are now, and we've done a good job with her. If you honestly only want one child, then that's OK, I'm not going to pressure you into having more, but if it's for other reasons, we both at least need to have the talk."

Lindsay sighed, knowing that she could put off this conversation no longer. "I do want more kids Danny, I don't want Lucy to be an only child, it's just that with all the stuff we've been through since I got pregnant – yeah, we survived it, but I really don't want to repeat a lot of it, once was too many times as far as I'm concerned."

Danny couldn't say that he didn't agree with her on that, but he also didn't want to be held down by what had happened before. "That was the past…"

"And you can't promise that nothing like that, or something even worse, will happen the next time," she retorted.

"But you can't promise that it _will_ happen either. Call me crazy, but I think that we've been put through all the stuff we're supposed to face together and now we just get to live our lives and be ridiculously happy together, making everybody else jealous. At the end of the day, it's a question of whether we're willing to take another leap of faith together."

The beginnings of a smile graced Lindsay's features, and his words, combined with the memory of their biggest leap together, set off a whole new image in her head, one that she'd only seen in her dreams and one that she'd not seen in a while. "There you go again – now you've got me picturing a little boy running around after Lucy while you and I stand nearby, your hands wrapped around my once-again swollen belly." Her smile grew wide again and her eyes glazed over for a moment, getting lost in the mental image. Coming to, she looked down and finally noticed the shit-eating grin on Danny's face. "What?"

"Here I was, just wanting to have a conversation about more kids, and you go and plan on two more. You could've asked me first you know, I'm involved in this too. You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much…"

Lindsay quickly clamped her hand over his mouth, a playful gleam in her eye. "Finish that sentence and you'll be lucky to get anywhere near me for the next decade."

Danny liked the sound of him and Lindsay still being together ten years from now, still wanting each other, so he quickly realized that he was best not to push his luck. He nodded his head in agreement and waited for Lindsay to move her hand so he could speak again.

"A little brother for Lucy sounds perfect, or a little sister – it doesn't matter to me so long as it's you and me doing it together. We can broach the subject of any more kids when we come to it, which seems reasonable, right?" Lindsay nodded her head in response, and then proceeded to yawn right in Danny's face. "Thanks for that. I'm taking you to bed." He saw the flicker of hesitance in her eyes, and he quickly backtracked a bit. "Linds, we just seriously talked about having more kids for the first time – we need to have a few more conversations before we actually move ahead with a plan. When I said 'bed,' I meant sleep: you and I have both had a long and draining day, and we gotta go to work tomorrow."

Lindsay nodded, realizing that she'd been silly to jump to conclusions, but happy to have the reassurance nonetheless. "Does sleep involve cuddling by any chance?"

"Maybe." Eyeing her mischievously, Danny sat up, keeping Lindsay close to him as he stood up and carried her to their bedroom. Pushing back the covers with his foot he dropped her into the center of the bed and jumped in right after her, giving her no chance to wiggle away from him. Pulling her flush against his body, he pulled the covers over them and wrapped his arms around her tightly, feeling Lindsay place her hands over his. Leaning forward, he captured her lips in a loving kiss. "Goodnight Lindsay."

"Goodnight Danny."

Pulling back again, he buried his face in her neck and let out a contented sigh. Within a few minutes, she felt his breathing even out and Lindsay knew that he was asleep. Feeling herself begin to really relax in his embrace and get sleepy, Lindsay tentatively moved their joined left hands down to her stomach and she felt Danny smile against her neck. She smiled too and closed her eyes, allowing herself to think about what it would be like to have another child.

It was an idea that she liked very much.

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**OK, so I really think that this story took a sharp right turn from where it was originally supposed to go, but I honestly cannot remember where I wanted to take it! Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now other than apologize to anyone who felt that this story was disjointed/rushed/crazy/silly/insert-your-own-adjective-here. Sorry! *sheepish smile***

**Once again, thanks for reading everybody!**


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